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Why Kenya

Nairobi 2018

Travel Info

Kenya, one of Africas more powerful economies, covers an area of 582,650km square with a population of over 43 million. Although made up of many diverse ethnic groups and tribes, Kenyans have a strong sense of national pride.

For a country of its size, Kenya packs a lot in: mountains and deserts, colourful tribal culture, beaches and coral reefs, and some of Africas best wildlife attractions. Stunning landscapes set the scene, from Kakamegas rainforests to Indian Ocean beaches by way of Mt Kenya National Park; the rolling grasslands of the Masai Mara to searing deserts on the shores of the Jade Sea; with The Rift Valley, home to Hells Gate National Park, cleaving a massive gash through it all.

ABOUT NAIROBI

Nairobiis one of Africas major cities, the UNs fourth "World Centre" (headquarters for Africa and the Middle East), East Africas commercial, financial, media and NGO hub, and the safari capital of the world, with a population of between three and four million.

Nairobi came into being in May 1899, an artificial settlement created by Europeans at Mile 327 of the Uganda Railway. The bleak, partly swampy site was simply the spot where operations came to a halt while the engineers figured out their next move - getting the line up the steep slopes that lay ahead. The name came from the local Maasai word for the area, Enkare Nyarobi, "the place of cold water", though the spot itself was originally called Nakusontelon, "Beginning of all Beauty".

One of the major attractions in the City is the Nairobi National Park which has a unique ecosystem by being the only protected area in the world close to a capital city. The park is located only 7 km from Nairobi city centre. The major wildlife attractions are the black rhino, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, buffaloes, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, eland and a diverse birdlife with over 400 species recorded. Other attractions include the Ivory Burning Site Monument, Nairobi Safari Walk, the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and the walking trails at hippo pools.

Some of the other popular places to visit while in Kenya are Masai Mara (Wildebeest Migration), Aberdare National Park; Amboseli National Park; Buffalo Springs National Reserve; Central Island; Chale Island; Chyulu Hills; Giraffe Centre, Nairobi; Hells Gate National Park; Lake Bogoria National Reserve; Lake Naivasha; Lake Nakuru; Meru National Park; Mount Kenya National Park; National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi; Samburu National Reserve; Shaba National Reserve; Tsavo East National Park; Tsavo West National Park. Visit http://www.magicalkenya.com/ to read more or contact the official tours and travel agent detailed in the Hotels section on this site.

CURRENCY - Kenya shilling (KES) currently about KES 101 : US$1

The Kenyan Shilling, denoted by KES, is the official currency of Kenya.

Credit cards may be used at many establishments and ATMs are widespread with majority of the machines accepting VISA and MasterCard. The machines are easily located at the airport, outside banks, at shopping malls and some petrol stations. For all your conversion rates refer to http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?From=KES&To=USD

WEATHER: Nairobi has a mild temperate climate with dry winters and warm summers. At 1,795 metres (5,889 ft) above sea level, evenings may be cool, especially in June/July, when the temperature can drop to 10 °C (50 °F). The sunniest and warmest part of the year is from December to March, when temperatures average the mid-twenties during the day. The mean maximum temperature for this period is 24 °C (75 °F). As Nairobi is situated close to the equator, the differences between the seasons are minimal. The timing of sunrise and sunset varies little throughout the year for the same reason.

AIRPORT TRANSFERS: The airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, is about 30 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the arrival time - traffic can be challenging) from the event venue and recommended hotels. Airport transfers are offered by private arragement with your travel agent or hotel if prior arrangement was made at an extra cost of about USD 25-35. Private taxis may charge approximately KES 2000/= to 4000/=.

VISA INFORMATION:

Entry / Exit Requirements:

This is to notify the General Public that the following website and email are not the official online visa application website.

1. http://www.kenya-evisa-online.com is not the Kenyan government website for online visa applications it is a Scam Evisa Application Website.

2. The following email is also not the official communication email diskenya.immigration@gmail.com